resolutions

In addition to being a vital aspect of entertainment, music and the news surrounding it often serve as a lens for considering important cultural phenomena. Rather than providing the overdone top ten album list, like I did last year, I focused on overarching themes in national, international and hyper-local music news in Macro and Micro Music Review. Since I neglected to mention Of God and Science in my local band R.I.P. list, check out their music video for “Turbulence” below.

This week’s feature, “You, Improved,” gathers some excellent pointers from various life-improvement experts. Some of my favorite:

Brad Braden, administrative director at Kadampa Meditation Center

• “Before going into a stressful meeting, take a couple of minutes to breathe and ground yourself. ‘If we can back away for a moment,’ he says, ‘it helps you to know what it feels like to be calm’ so that you can return to that feeling at times when you may be provoked.”

• “If you decide to attend meditation or yoga classes, it’s important tofind a teacher you resonate with. So when you start going, shop around until you find someone who makes you feel absolutely comfortable.”

Dr. Heidi Murphy, communication studies instructor at Central New Mexico Community College

• On defensiveness: “She says it’s hard to ‘own up to something we know we can do better.’ Instead of talking about it, we ‘push it away’ and blame it on others.”

Miriam Ortiz y Pino, certified professional organizer and simplicity expert, owner of More Than Organized

• “Move disorganized items into a clutter-free space. Sort them out there, then put them back. Oftentimes you’ll think more clearly in a clean area.”

Two of my (and likely your) 2012 resolutions are to get in better shape and be more frugal. I’m hoping to make a dent in both by taking advantage of new-student specials and cheap drop-in classes at local yoga studios. This is what I’ve found from cruising around online ... if you know of any others, do tell!